This sacred event is part of the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, which started on January 13 with the Paush Purnima and ends on February 26 on Maha Shivratri. As of 6 am on Wednesday, more than 40 lakh pilgrims have taken holy dip in Prayagraj.
The grand event attracted over 60 crore devotees from around the world, making it the largest religious gathering globally.
The Triveni Sangam, a confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers, holds deep spiritual significance and devotees believe that taking a dip in these holy waters will wash away their sins and help them achieve spiritual liberation.
Maha Kumbh has its roots in the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu text. It is believed that drops of Amrit (nectar of immortality) spilt at this place during the Samudra Manthan (churning of the cosmic ocean).
The 45-day-long Maha Kumbh Mela featured six major baths, including three royal baths (Shahi Snan), which took place on Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami.
Here is how the devotees performed bathing rituals:
- Paush Purnima: January 13, Monday
- Makar Sankranti (First Shahi Snan): January 14, Tuesday
- Mauni Amavasya (Second Shahi Snan): January 29, Wednesday
- Basant Panchami (Third Shahi Snan): February 3, Monday
- Maghi Purnima: February 12, Wednesday
- Maha Shivratri (Closing Bath): February 26, Wednesday
Multiple Akharas took part in the Maha Kumbh, notably Niranjani Akhada, Ahwan Akhada, and Juna Akhada, the largest Akhada in the Sanyasi tradition. Additionally, the gathering also saw the participation of several notable political leaders, celebrities and industrialists.
The Mela has also achieved a new Guinness World Record with 15,000 sanitation personnel participating in a cleanup drive at several locations. The results of this record attempt are scheduled to be released on February 27.
This year, the government put in place elaborate measures like crowd control, cleanliness and medical facilities to ensure a smooth experience for devotees. The arrangements were further intensified following the January 26 stampede on Mauni Amavasya.
As the Maha Kumbh Mela draws to a close, the lively energy that enveloped Prayagraj for 45 days will gradually diminish. The sacred hum of prayers, chants and devotional songs that filled the air in the sacred city will fade into memory.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath posted on X that 63.36 crore devotees had taken a holy dip during Maha Kumbh 2025. “Hearty wishes to all the revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come to take a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam today on the holy bathing festival of Mahashivratri dedicated to the worship of Lord Bholenath in Mahakumbh-2025, Prayagraj. May Tribhuvanpati Lord Shiva and holy river Mother Ganga bless everyone. This is my prayer. Har Har Mahadev,” he wrote.
